Gear.



F. CONRAD.

GEAR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. ms.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Amway-w [FM/f Patented. Jan. 11, 1916.

VANIA.

ASSIGNOB TO WESTINGHOUSE CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- GEAR.

Original application filed July 2, 1913, Serial No. 776,951.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 11, 1916. Divided and this application filed April 6,1915.

Serial No. 19,608.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gears, ofwhich the following is a specification, this application being adivision of applicatlon, Serial No. 7 76,951, filed July 2, 1913.

My invention relates to non-metallic gear wheels and pinions, and it hasfor its object to provide such devices which shall be light, strong anddurable in construction and noiseless in operation.

Gear wheels and pinions (which, for convenience, will hereinafter bedesignated as gears) have heretofore been constructed of non-metallicmetals, but such gears have usually been unsuited for service wherestrength and long life are required, on account of the low tensilestrength of the materials heretofore employed. Certain types ofnon-metallic gears, such as those composed of laminations of rawhide andthe like, have the further disadvantages that they are but slightlyresistant to heat and readily absorb moisture and oils, and theseproperties greatly restrict the field of usefulness of such gears.Another mechanical disadvantage of the non-metallic gears that haveheretofore been made is that such gears have usually been made up of anumber of laminations of the non-metallic material firmly compressedbetween metallic end plates which increase the thickness of the gear butare useless in transmitting power.

According to my invention, as set forth in my copending applicationSerial No. 776,951, filed July 2, 1913, of which this application is adivision, I construct integral gears of a composite material consistingof fibrous material such as paper, cloth and the like combined with anadhesive liquid material, preferably a phenolic condensation product,such as bakelite, which is a condensation product of phenols andformaldehyde. My present application relates to that species of myinvention according to which gears are made of cloth fabrics such asduck, muslin and the like, united, as heretofore stated, by means of anadhesive.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in whichand the bakelite is Figure 1 is an end view of a spurgear constructed in accordance with my invention and Fig. 2 is adiametral sectional view of the gear shown in Fig. 1.

The gear shown in the drawing is an ordinary spur gear having a body 1,teeth 2 and a central opening or bore 3.

The material of which the gear is constructed is preferably made bycoating cotton duck or other suitable cloth fabric with bakelite' orother similar adhesive. The adhesive is applied in liquid form and the jmay be varied in accordance with the adhesive employed and the thicknessof the composite plate, The effect of this heat treatment under pressureis to firmly cement together the sheets of cloth and to furtherimpregnate the cloth with the adhesive. The plate is transformed intoahard, compact and coherent mass. After cooling, the composite materialis removed from the press and clamped between steel plates to preventwarping during baking, which is the last step in the process, and whichis performed in heated ovens. plates are allowed to remain in the bakingovens for several hours, during which time any moisture that may bepresent is expelled transformed into its solid, infusible and The platesare then removed from the oven and the finished product is allowed tocool. The resulting material has substantially the physical propertiesset forth in theapplication of which the present application is adivision. The specific material to which my present application relatesis supe rior to that composed of paper andbakelite -or similar adhesivein tensile strength and in elasticity, and gears composed of cloth andbakelite are therefore able to withstand The 1 composite insolublecondition.

heavier service than gears composed of paper and bakelite. The finishedplates of composite material are cut into blanks of in any usual orconvenient manner.

The form of gear. shown in the accompanying drawing is merelyillustrative, and materials made according to my invention may be usedfor making gears of any desired kinds, sizes and proportions. It is tobe understood that my invention comprehends all such modifications andchanges in materials as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gear having a self-sustaining work'- ing body portion composed oflamlnations of cloth cemented together by means of an adhesive. r

2. A gear having a self-sustaining Working body portion composed oflamlnations of cloth cemented together by means of an adhesive thatresists attack by heat, 011 or v ater, under operating conditions. anydesired size and the gear teeth are cutv 3. A gear having. aself-sustaining working body portion composed of. laininations of clothand a phenolic condensation product.

4. A gear having a self-sustaining work ing body portion composed oflaminations of cloth and a binder that resists attack by heat, oil orWater under operating conditions. a

5. A gear having a self-sustaining work- 'ing body portion composed oflaminations of cloth and a binder that isunimpaired by operatingtemperatures.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th dayof March, 1915.

FRANK CONRAD.

